East Franklinton board continues review of 640 West Towne Street 100% affordable housing plan

The East Franklinton Review Board on a motion continued review of COA2500964, a revised proposal for 640 West Towne Street that would convert the site into a 105-unit, 100% affordable building serving people coming out of homelessness.

Board members and the applicant spent most of the meeting debating recent changes to a design originally submitted in 2022. Staff described the revisions as a denser building with smaller units, the removal of balconies and a rooftop deck, and the replacement of an earlier proposed triplex with a pollinator garden. Staff also noted the applicant submitted a placeholder mural while awaiting guidance from the Ohio Department of Transportation on suitability at the site.

Why it matters: the board said the earlier 2022 submission received height and density allowances in part because of higher design quality; several members signaled that the current design has lost architectural articulation and street-level transparency. Board member Kim Wei’s written comments, read into the record by staff, said the latest submission “has totally changed the plan” and “looks…